A killer day

I wore myself totally out watering trees this morning and hadn't heard from the road contractor. So after lunch, as bad as I needed a nap, I forced myself to pack up and go to town. My husband was chomping at the bit without me there for one day.

No sooner did I get unpacked in town than I got a text from the contractor that he's coming tomorrow to do the work. He even brought his dozer over this evening. So I packed up again and came back to the oasis. I don't like to drive at night, but I did. Tomorrow will be a killer day, picking up rocks and raking the road, but I'll be so glad to get it improved.

While I was watering this morning I was combating bees at the feeders. Had a pretty intense reaction to yesterday's sting too. Pain and swelling, then bad itching today. Never had that before.

Anyway, I tried various things hoping to deter the woodpecker. I hung a fat-reservoir feeder and cut off the perches so it couldn't sit on the feeder. It tried though because when I went back 30 minutes later it was covered with bees. I'll just have to see if it gives up or what.

I found some cheap feeders someone had given me that have tiny bases. No woodpecker could sit on it but don't know if bees will bother it or not. We'll see. It' has a pretty deep base so that should be good. It's cheap thin plastic and won't hold up long, but may last long enough for the woodpecker to move on. A work in progress. I'm falling asleep here so have to get to bed. Road work pictures tomorrow.

What's NOT happening at CMO

Got down here this morning to bee-covered feeders. The woodpecker is NOT leaving. I got stung while taking down a bee-laden feeder.

Also NOT happening is the roadwork. The contractor finally answered my texts and said maybe Thursday or Friday. So my hopes are up once again.

The cottonwood tree is covered with bees but that's NOT bothering me. It normally is as it starts leafing out.

The Mexican Redbud is starting to bloom too.

NOT happening is a nesting hole in the new agave stalk. Elf Owls are arriving this week. Neighbors to the south heard one last night. However, if the Ladder-backed Woodpeckers hurry they can still make it happen. The females are likely NOT arriving until next week and the woodpeckers can make a cavity quickly once they set their bills to it.

Saw my first Henry's Elfin of the year today, although NOT on the redbud tree where I expected to see it.

I realize how special the oasis is when I read how traffic-jammed the park is. Here I am, sitting in peace and quiet, watching Lucifer Hummingbirds.

UPDATE: Heard an Elf Owl at the oasis this evening.

Ordinary Alpine day

The apple tree seems to have more blooms than ever before.

I photographed this raptor that I assume is a Cooper's Hawk, but I'm not good at IDing raptors.

Tomato time

Last year for some unknown reason our tomatoes didn't thrive. By midsummer they were all dead. Hopefully, they'll do better this year, because I killed myself planting them.

Here's a photo a visitor took at the oasis a few days ago. That darn woodpecker!

Stuck in town

I'm optimistic that the roadwork will get scheduled in the next couple of days. Meanwhile, here are a couple of butterfly photos I took yesterday at the oasis. I'm up to six species for the year so far, but it should increase rapidly now that winter is over.

Eastern Black Swallowtail

AZ Powdered-Skipper on Slimleaf Plains Mustard

A little stressed

I worked hard the last two days so gave myself the morning off before having to head to town. Now I'm behind and to make it worse, we set the clocks forward in the morning so I'll lose an hour there.

I'm trying to be real cautious about viruses what with the corona virus on the rampage. But it's difficult. No matter how careful I am out in public, if I come home and my husband hasn't been careful, then everything he touches could be contaminated. I'll try anyway. Probably by the time I decide to quarantine myself at the oasis, it'll be too late. I just worry because I have enough trouble breathing as it is, without a virus attacking my lungs. In December I nearly ended up in the hospital with bronchitis from the flu B. So there's that.

Yesterday I ate my second, and last, orange from my tree.

And after I watered everything, I further killed myself digging out a bush so the little Arizona Cypress tree that volunteered to grow there could do better. I didn't get out the taproot so it'll probably be an ongoing challenge. Here are before and after shots.

This morning was lovely. I sat by the big tank taking photos. None turned out very good. Probably because it's such a long distance across the tank. There were four Gadwalls on the tank, but they flushed when I hung around.

I was glad to see a Lucifer Hummingbird male set up his feeding territory near the tank. That means when ocotillo are blooming and Lucifers are scarce at the feeders people needing it for their life list can get it there.

Remember those hexagonal tiles I bought for the rock tank? A bunch of them leak and sink to the bottom. When I remove them from the water the tiles don't leak the water back out to where I can find the leak and patch it. I'll drain the tank soon and see what I can do about the problem. I'd say at least three dozen have sunk to the bottom and a couple dozen more on their way to sinking. Always something. As expensive as they are you'd think they could make them waterproof.

And I'm stressing about the upcoming roadwork. I know it'll be really stressful, but so great once it's done.

Good and bad woodpeckers

Finally got my first Lucifer photo of the year. First Lucifer photo with my new camera, too.

I had the white balance set too high and cut off the tail, but I'll learn...eventually. Sometimes Lucifer gorgets look very reddish and sometimes they look very blue-ish. Just depends on the lighting and humidity, or whatever. Normally, they're more of a magenta color.

I'm being defeated by the Golden-fronted Woodpecker! Might have to invent something to keep the feeders from tilting or put a screen around the feeders to keep the woodpecker off. Or shoot the woodpecker! I'm really frustrated that it won't leave the feeders alone.

I've been waiting for the Ladder-backed Woodpeckers to excavate nesting holes in the new agave stalk. Today one appeared to have started a hole. We will see. It's on the south side of the stalk, which Elf Owls don't prefer, but maybe I can turn the stalk. Time is of the essence. The female owls will be choosing their nests this month.

Not a total lack of lustre

This time of year is bleak at the oasis. The Golden-fronted Woodpecker seems to have found a permanent home, so the feeders still have bee issues.

My energy level is chronically low. I was dreading having to water in the morning. But then I got an email from someone that visited yesterday and reported having had a "fabulous" time. (They saw the Lucifer Hummingbird too.) Stuff like that re-motives me. I can keep on keeping on as long as it brings joy to other people. And possibly the road work is going to happen tomorrow. That means I'll have to rake the road but at least I can do it a bit at a time. And I might find someone to help me if it's really bad. 

I did actually see my first Lucifer of the year today, but didn't get a photo. It only came to the feeder one time. I waited to get a perched shot away from a feeder, but didn't happen. 

The seed feeder stays busy. I have it up out of bear's reach, but need to find the energy to put the "unwelcome" mat down tomorrow. Although bear visits are usually in the fall, they sometimes drop by in the spring.

I know I'm just tired tonight. In the morning the tasks won't seem so daunting. And it'll be worth killing myself on the road just to have it done. Everything after that will be easy going.

Big hands!

In my previous post I mentioned that I have huge hands. My hands are like my father's and his mother's before him, We're all hard workers too. Don't know if that's cause or effect. Here's my Irish grandmother, who I adored. Wish I was that young again! Those man hands have served me well.

Several purple flowers blooming in Alpine already that I don't recognize.

Winter is over! YAY!

Neighbors have seen several hummers but none at CMO yet. Plenty of feeder activity though. ... bees. Luckily I haven't gotten stung. (Knock on wood)

I'm excited because roadwork is finally gonna happen. I found someone with a bulldozer who will do it when he gets time. Expensive but so worth it. Good use of donation money. I'll take lots of photos when it happens. Should be within the next couple of weeks.

My orange tree only made three oranges this year. One was up high by the skylight (where I can't get to) and split, but I ate one of the other two today. So big and sweet and juicy! I have huge hands and it filled one. The tree is starting to bloom now.